Creating a Counter Culture - a Study on the BeatitudesНамуна

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Have you heard anything more paradoxical - Happy are the ‘unhappy’? Today we live in a grief-averse culture – we have 101 ways to cope with and avoid grief. The cause and effect Jesus highlights in this Beatitude: contrition leads to comfort.

Why do we mourn?

We mourn into repentance. Repentance is a gift and proper mourning - not regret, not self-condemnation - leads us to repentance and transformation.

Mourning invites fellowship with the spirit: It is not the mourning itself that makes us happy, but when we mourn in the spirit, we have fellowship with the spirit - the spirit of comfort. Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

What do we mourn for?

We mourn for our sin. Mourning is not just a doorway for unbelievers to enter into salvation. It is mainly for the Christian. We need to mourn as a people who are not wholly sanctified. In the late 1990s, one worship leader stood on a stage with no sound system and sang his song of mourning. “I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made when it’s all about you.” The song, Heart of Worship by Matt Redman became an anthem for a whole generation who said, “Hey! I’ve not been living right. I need to set my heart right before God.”

We mourn for the world. Jesus, who was without sin, mourned the state of Jerusalem that was chosen and loved by the Father. When was the last time your heart was broken over the concerns of the Lord?

How do we mourn?

We don’t make a show of it. The mourning of the spirit is done with fasting and prayer. Jesus gives very specific instructions on how to fast and pray. Jesus tells us to do it in secret.

Mourn until you are comforted. It’s uncomfortable to mourn. It feels bad, but let’s not be too quick to make ourselves feel good. Disarm the thing you run to when you want to feel good. For me, it is entertainment and shopping. Mourn and stay uncomfortable until you are comforted by the Holy Spirit because then we can comfort others with the same comfort we have received.

REFLECT AND ASK YOURSELF

• When did I last mourn over my sin and the sins of the world?
• What do I run to when I don’t want to mourn in a difficult situation?